Minister Tajani, why did Italy immediately come out in support of the International Criminal Court after it was attacked by President Trump?
“Because we believe in the role of the ICC, and we firmly support it. That is the reason why I signed the joint statement with other G7 and European Ministers, including my Dutch and Danish colleagues, and the reason why we firmly oppose the sanctions against the Court announced by the United States. As a party to the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC in July 1998, we will continue to support its work and defend an international system based on rules and accountability.”
So was President Trump wrong in this matter?
“It is not for States to comment on the awarding of Nobel Prizes.”
Everything seems to point towards pessimism. Yet you have called Forza Italia’s three-day event in Milan, which began yesterday, “Optimism of the Will.” Out with President Trump and in with Gramsci?
“Bear in mind that, before Gramsci reworked the phrase, it was coined by Romain Rolland, the French writer and Nobel laureate, as a moral appeal to look clear-eyed at the difficulties of the present without losing faith in the future.”
What does that mean in politics and on the campaign trail?
“It means looking ahead with confidence, offering the country a way forward and setting out our reformist vision for society, without concealing the problems and difficulties we face. There are two wars under way and many other emergencies. Despite that, we can be optimistic if we have the right ideas and the determination to face the future. Have you seen the programme for our three days in Milan?”
Tell us about it.
“As a Christian, liberal, reformist, pro-European party committed to the rule of law, we put people at the centre of every proposal. We aim to safeguard everyone’s freedom and improve everyone’s quality of life. The central issue is growth. Without growth there are no jobs, and without work there is neither dignity nor freedom.”
Italy’s growth is weak…
“We need to challenge that doom-laden view. Italy is in a better position than other European countries, partly because Forza Italia has made an important contribution to economic growth. Just think about exports: they continue to grow substantially – by 3.3 per cent last year and 4.5 per cent in the first few months of this year. Thanks to the reform of the Foreign Ministry, our country has gained momentum in international markets.”
Optimism of the will about what can be done, but pessimism of the intellect about what promises to be a heated election campaign?
“The politics of hatred has no place in our approach. For us, growth is at the heart of everything. With a view to fostering it, we need modern infrastructure, including digital infrastructure; school and university education that meets the demands of our times, including the challenges posed by artificial intelligence; innovation; and research that is increasingly connected to industrial policy. Our campaign will focus entirely on policies, with the aim of making Italy more liberal.”
You have brought together many of the so-called “intermediate bodies,” as well as scholars and technical experts. Are you seeking Gramscian hegemony?
“Quite the opposite. Our aim is to enable Italy to develop freely. If anything, we draw inspiration from the motto of a great liberal, Luigi Einaudi: “Know before you decide.” Politicians must listen and, having listened, put forward proposals. On employment, our proposals are grounded in the social market economy. The interests and rights of individuals come before the interests of the State.”
Regardless of Vannacci, do you not think the right-wing parties have become too dominant within the centre-right coalition?
“There is no doubt that we need more of the centre. Our coalition needs more of the tradition of Popularism. In keeping with the European People’s Party, we are particularly attentive to individual freedoms and rights, including social rights. I am thinking of equal pay for men and women, a goal we need to pursue with great determination, because the severe gap that still exists is unworthy of a modern country. I am thinking of prisoners’ rights, because a sentence deprives a person of liberty, not dignity. And I am thinking of the right to housing, the right of young people to be able to stay in their country, and the right not to be discriminated against on racial, sexual or economic grounds – or for any other reason.”
A reformist humanism, then, rather than dusty conservatism?
“Certainly: a modernising, innovative humanism whose values are turned into concrete action. Just think about business. There can be no growth or job creation without a healthy business sector, supported by highly pragmatic Italian and European industrial policies that do not hold it back, and freed from excessive bureaucratic obstacles.”
Have you seen that Salvini is once again pressing for a tax on banks’ windfall profits?
“We can achieve the same results without imposing new taxes or adopting the attitudes of socialist regimes. Dialogue is always our approach.”
When will the election be held?
“Let us not turn the election date into a sterile debate. We must work until the end of the Parliamentary term, starting with a sound budgetary and finance bill that takes account of the difficulties facing the world.”
Europe, however, is not allowing any flexibility…
“We have already secured the possibility of a budgetary deviation to address the energy emergency and the major issue of European defence. But if the situation worsens and inflation rises further, Europe will have to allow greater flexibility. I also believe the ECB should not raise interest rates, because this inflation is driven by external factors, not domestic ones.”
So what kind of budgetary and finance bill will it be?
“It must continue the tax-cutting path we have begun. I am thinking of tax relief on the tredicesima—the additional month’s salary paid at the end of the year; a tax-free allowance for young people; a further reduction in personal income tax (IRPEF); and the possibility of claiming deductions for healthcare expenses in the year in which they are incurred.”
But if the new electoral law leads to a hung Parliament, won’t all this remain on paper?
“I am convinced that the centre-right will exceed 42 per cent. And we will win in the centre.”
What about Vannacci?
“He has chosen to act as a fifth column for the left-wing coalition. I have nothing more to add.”
Where does Forza Italia stand now, given that under Berlusconi it was an anarchic monarchy?
“A party that has lost its great founding leader must regard all its officials, members and voters as the true heirs to Berlusconi’s legacy. That is the reason why Forza Italia has decided to let its grassroots choose its leadership. Party congresses are the best way to broaden the party’s reach and encourage as many people as possible to take an active part.”
